The Kansas City region has attracted its second Amazon.com distribution facility this year. Today, Amazon.com announced it will add an 855,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Kansas City, Kansas, that will ultimately employ more than 1,000. This news comes on the heels of significant investments by eCommerce companies in the Kansas City market that have already pledged to create more than 4,000 jobs.
“Amazon’s announcement validates the unique and valuable benefits of locating an eCommerce operation in the KC region,” says Tim Cowden, president and CEO, Kansas City Area Development Council. “When a company learns they can reach 85% of the U.S. population in two days from Kansas City, plus our robust highway, rail and air cargo infrastructure supporting the distribution industry, there is a very strong case for location in our region.”
In the last three years, the Kansas City area has attracted eCommerce companies including Amazon, S&S Active Wear, FoodServiceWarehouse.com, ReallyGoodStuff.com and Jet.com. These companies are investing $150 million and will occupy over four million square feet.
“In addition to our market’s competitive location and cost advantages, supply chain companies are drawn to our wealth of speculative development space,” says Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort, which supports the region’s status as a North American logistics hub. “More than 5.8 million sq. ft. of speculative industrial space hit the market in 2015, and currently 6.3 million sq. ft. of spec space is under construction.”
This announcement marks Amazon’s third facility in the Kansas City region. Amazon operates a 267,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center at Lenexa Logistics Center, and construction continues on an 822,000-sq.-ft. fulfillment center in Edgerton, Kansas, in Logistics Park Kansas City, announced this March.
Amazon’s new Kansas City, Kansas, facility will be built on land previously owned by NorthPoint Development near the southwest side of Interstate 70 and the Turner Diagonal freeway. The project’s real estate developers include Cushman & Wakefield, Seefried Industrial Properties and USAA.
About KC SmartPort
KC SmartPort is the authority on logistics opportunities in the 18-county, bi-state Kansas City region. KC SmartPort promotes and enhances the Kansas City region’s status as a leading North American logistics hub. KC SmartPort is affiliated with the Kansas City Area Development Council, the regional economic development organization for the 18-county Kansas City metro. www.KCSmartPort.com
About Greater Kansas City
Home to 2.5 million people, the Kansas City region offers the benefits of more than 50 unique communities and 18 counties in Kansas and Missouri. The area ranks as the number one rail center in the U.S., the country’s third largest trucking center and one of the largest Foreign Trade Zones in the U.S. www.thinkKC.com